Quebeckers agree to bill for drinking water
Water is a precious resource that is often wasted and misused. Quebecers therefore believe that it is time to give it an economic value, which could help to better protect it, but also enrich the province, according to a new Senergis-Le Devoir survey.
AGREE TO BILL FOR DRINKING WATER
Thus, Quebeckers agree with the imposition of a consumer rate in homes and businesses, as is the case for electricity. In addition, a large majority of Quebecers are open to the idea of exporting water to foreign countries, provided that this practice is well regulated.
This survey was commissioned to contribute to the debates of the Quebec Water Forum, which has been taking place since yesterday at the Montreal Science Centre, at the initiative of the newspaper Les Affaires, in partnership with Le Devoir and radio 98.5 FM. More than 35 organizations, companies, universities and governments are participating in the event.
This survey, which includes 14 questions on water management, is full of surprises. Thus, 54% of the 1000 respondents stated that the government should charge households for water based on the quantity used. 45% of them are against it.
The proportion of Quebecers who believe that water should be billed to businesses is even higher, at 83%. Only 16% of them think otherwise.
Daniel Lemieux, a partner at Senergis, notes a change in mentality among the population. "A majority of Quebecers are in favour of invoicing, which was not the case a few years ago. The user-pay concept is gaining ground and is more accepted. It would not be perceived as an abusive tax," he says.
One of the reasons comes from Quebecers' attachment to this resource, says the pollster. In environmental concerns, water is at the top of the list. No less than 55% of respondents ranked it first. Climate change (21%), the development of new energies (12%) and the protection of agricultural land (10%) follow in order. When we group together the first and second choices of citizens, we see that 86% of Quebecers believe that water protection is a priority, ahead of climate change (55%).
However, this resource does not receive the attention it deserves, since a majority of Quebecers (56%) feel that water is poorly protected by current laws and regulations. Almost 80% of citizens believe that the government should take a greater interest in this strategic resource, which is often renamed "blue gold". "Quebecers' impression is that water is poorly protected, misused and misused," says Daniel Lemieux.
Moreover, 87% of Quebecers have the impression that the resource is being wasted. The proportion of people who think it is "a lot wasted" is 50%. "Clearly, Quebecers think that by imposing a water consumption rate, waste will decrease," says Daniel Lemieux, who adds: "People are aware that this resource is often misused and for needs that are not a priority," such as washing your parking lot and car, filling your pool or watering your lawn. Nearly 82% of respondents say they can reduce their water consumption without really affecting their comfort.
EXPORT WATER?
59% believe that water should be exported, but with "strict control".
Water must be protected and its management well supervised. But this resource can also contribute to enriching Quebec, say survey respondents.
No less than 59% of Quebecers say that governments should "authorize the export of water from Quebec and Canada", provided that this trade is "regulated" by a "strict control". If we add the 9% who believe that water should be exported "like any other product", i.e. without restriction, we see that 68% of Quebecers say they are open to the idea of exporting water, under certain conditions.
Nevertheless, 29% of respondents, almost one in three Quebecers, say that exports should be "prohibited", because water is "a collective asset to be protected".
Survey analysts expressed surprise at these responses, while water is often perceived as an untouchable good. In Canada, the export of large quantities of water (e.g., in bulk or by pipeline) for commercial purposes is prohibited.
According to Daniel Lemieux, Quebecers are ready to consider the "economic value of water". "There is an opening to make money with water, but the message is clear: not just any way. First, Quebeckers want regulations to ensure that this resource is properly managed. Quebeckers do not want abusive exports," he says.
Okay to export the water, but to whom? Poor countries that are in constant shortage are in high demand. Thus, 79% of Quebecers agree to export water "to developing countries with limited groundwater resources". 19% of them oppose it.
If the government were to move in this direction, 45% of respondents said that water should be "offered free as humanitarian aid", 35% said that blue gold should be sold at a preferential rate, while 16% said that market value should be kept.
All survey questions and results are available in a PDF document on our website (www.ledevoir.com). The Senergis survey was conducted over the phone between October 9 and 16, 2010 with 1000 respondents. The margin of error is 3.1%, 19 times out of 20.
Translate from Alec Castonguay, published in Le Devoir on October 26, 2010